The 2016 Rio Olympics have just drawn to a close and the Rio 2016 Paralympics Games are about to start. For many people, the motivation to get more active is still burning bright. Even the most dedicated of couch potatoes would have struggled to not feel inspired by the achievements of athletes from across the globe, and as an employer, now’s a good time to think about how you can encourage your staff to adopt a healthier and more active lifestyle.
The benefits
Promoting health and fitness at work isn’t just a nice idea, or a fluffy initiative with no measurable business impact. Fitter staff are likely to be happier and more confident, have more positive attitudes towards work, and suffer less from stress and other related illnesses. They’re also much less likely to have to take time off. In short, promoting activity and healthier living can help you to achieve your business goals.
What can you do?
We’ve all heard about large corporations offering fancy benefit packages, such as private healthcare and on-site gyms. This approach may be a recipe for success for some, but the reality of the situation here is that smaller businesses often have smaller budgets. The good news is that there’s plenty that you can do, even if you’re trying to keep an eye on your costs.
One option is to get a team of eager individuals together, and work towards completing a challenge together. It could be something big and ambitious, like a marathon or Tough Mudder, or it could be something on a smaller scale, such as a local Parkrun, or even a daily stroll around the office grounds. Remember that your staff will have differing abilities, so consider how you can get everyone involved, without creating any pressure to perform. Involve members of your staff for their ideas, perhaps some of them may have a particular sporting talent you could use.
An element of competition can sometimes be motivating, so it’s worthwhile considering how you could create a healthy challenge for you staff to take part in. It could involve hitting a certain number of steps each day, or taking part in some form of exercise every working day, entering a friendly competition with other local businesses, or something a little more creative. It’ll be a great talking point in the office, and it’s often a great way to strengthen working relationships.
With the Olympics still fresh in everyone’s minds, and hopefully a few weeks of summer weather left to enjoy, there has never been a better time to make sure that health and fitness are firmly on your business agenda.
Would you like to have a chat with an HR professional about how you can create a healthy workplace culture? We’d love to help, give us a call today, and we’ll book you in for a no-obligation consultation or go to our HR Assessment page.